84380

 

II  

Designated  

29/04/2005  

29/04/2005  

Front courtyard and boundary wall at Craig-y-nos  

 

Powys  

Tawe-Uchaf  

Swansea  

Craig-y-nos  

284016  

215362  

 

The wall creates the front courtyard of Craig-y-nos and the front property boundary facing the road.  

Domestic  

 

The wall is of two periods mid and late C19, with some limited later remodelling of the latter; the two main periods represent the original building and the Patti extension. As on the main house, the difference in masonry identifies the two periods: narrow coursed grey rubble succeeded by larger blocks of redder sandstone. The first edition OS map and photograph of 1870 both show a courtyard fronting the original house of 1841, the dimensions of which survived the Patti development. The N stretch of wall extending from the theatre is of both periods, the older stretch left of the gate. The original front courtyard wall had a narrower recessed arched gateway and was of uniform height and higher than at present; there may have been some C20 post-Patti adaptation to later uses here. The stretch of the front wall to N, now fronting the garden adjacent to the theatre, joins with the wall of the original kitchen garden at N. The stretch to S formed the boundary of the Patti Winter Garden and frameyard development, though the section forming the roadside wall of the service range and stable court was part of the original complex.  

The stretch of wall extending from the theatre is of coursed red sandstone with ashlar balustrade; gateway with tall gatepiers with rough caps and iron gate with spear finials and reticulated design to the lower panel; section W of gateway is of narrower coursed grey rubble with flat coping, from the earlier period. The front wall adjoining the N courtyard wall at right angles forms the entrance frontage stepped up at gateway to form lamp piers with cast iron lamps; double iron gates; concrete coping. To left the wall extends beyond the courtyard to front the garden beside the theatre. To right the wall adjoins the service range and beyond, far right, fronts the former Winter Garden area, including bothy and frameyard, and incorporates a small pointed arched doorway.  

 

Included for its special interest as a defining part of both the mid and later C19 development for group value with other listed items at Craig-y-nos.